Changing Wings, Trading Feathers
by Meme-Ann
Summary: Banksie agnst again, through the transition of going from Hawk to Duck.
1. Heart Of A Hawk

Adam Banks stared at the cake on the table in front of him, it was covered in thick, black, butter cream icing. The head of a hawk drawn flawlessly in white frosting in the center, with the words 'Congratulations Adam' written above the bird in royal blue. His stomach was doing summersaults in anticipation of the first, sense disrupting, mind blowingly sweet bight.  
  
"Now Phillip, it isn't fair to get his hopes up like that. What if he doesn't make the team? Don't you think it'll only make him feel worse after you made such an enormous deal about it?" Adam could hear his mother scold his father from the other room.  
  
"Regina, please try to be positive about this. Adam was born for this, he's a natural, better then any of the other kids that tried out today." Phillip retorted.  
  
"He's right mom," Nicholas, Adam's older brother added "I was there, he was great, the best. And Coach Reilly only wants the best. Heck Adam's better at his age then I am now and Reilly took me."  
  
Adam sighed, he'd been sitting alone with that cake for nearly twenty minutes and his ten year old patience was starting to ware thin. He'd had a fantastic try out, he could feel it in his bones that he'd made the team. So, then why did he have to wait for the stupid phone call to eat the cake?  
  
It did ring finally though and Adam picked his head up from his eye to eye glare with the Hawk and looked over at the living room, where his family was still too busy arguing to answer it. He shook his head, rolled his eyes and walked to the kitchen to pick it up.  
  
"Hello, Banks' residence. This is he. Really? Are you serious? Awesome! Yeah, yeah. I'll be there. Thank you." The boy put the receiver back on the hook and with one last fisting pumping "YES!!" he ran to tell his parents and brother.  
  
Then coming to a stop of few feet away from the doorway, he slowed his place and walked in casually. He knocked comically on the door jam to gain their attention and when everyone looked he asked.  
"Am I interrupting?"  
  
"No sweetie." His mother turned to him with a smile. "What is it?"  
  
"That was Coach Reilly on the phone." Adam tried his best to look disappointed.  
  
"I didn't hear the phone ring." Nicholas announced as if anyone was listening to him.  
  
Phillip's heart began to pound.  
"What did he say son?"  
  
Adam shrugged and looked at his shoes.  
"Just that I made the team!" He yelled jumping up and down "I get to play hockey!"  
  
Phillip's face swelled with pride, to him there was no team better then the Hawks, they were the best, and playing for the best made you the best. There was nothing more important to him, then being the best. He was the best corporate lawyer in his district, Regina was the best decorator at her interior design firm, Nicholas was the best student at his prestigious high school, now Adam would be the best player on the best team in the league.   
  
"That's fantastic son." Phil patted his youngest child on the back. "Let's go outside and practice some before it gets dark."  
  
"Wait, wait, wait!" Nicholas dashed upstairs, then came racing back down with a hockey stick in his hand. "Here Adam, this is the stick I used when we won the state championship. From one Hawk to another, maybe it'll bring you luck."  
  
Adam frowned, he didn't want his brothers old stick and he didn't want to practice. He wanted to eat his cake, celebrate and have a little fun before the season started.  
"Thanks Nick." He said half heartedly taking the gift from his brother. "But I already have a stick."  
  
"You know Adam, when Nicholas first joined the team, I took him to pick out any idem he wanted at the sporting good store, that's where he got that stick. What do you say we go get you something special?" Before his son had the chance to object Phillip had pushed him out of the door and into the car.  
  
The bell jingled on the door at a small hockey shop in Minneapolis. All the merchandise inside had character, everything was different from another. It was very different from the big chain store they usually went to for hockey stuff, but Phil had heard through the grapevine that Hans's Hockey was the place to go for, the most high quality stuff. Hans believed in the right thing for each player, not just diving them all the same supplies that didn't fit them.  
  
A older man, that looked to be in sixties walked out from the back of the shop and put a freshly sharpened pair of skates down on the shelf.  
"How can I help you?" He asked Adam in his Scandinavian accent.  
  
"This is my first season playing in the peewee's, my father said I could get anything I wanted as a reward." The boy replied fingering a pair of pads, that were hanging next to him.  
  
"Uhuh, let me look at you." Hans smiled as Adam looked up at him. "I'd say you're a Hawk." He declared.  
  
The boy was stunned.  
"How'd you know?"  
  
The man laughed at the look on his face.  
"I've been looking at hockey players for almost forty years. You look like a Hawk."  
  
"My names Adam Banks. Well anyway, my brother he got a new stick when he started playing and he still has it, it's like his good luck charm. He offered it to me, but I sort of wanted to have a special one of my own."  
  
Hans walked over to the rack and pulled out the first stick he saw and handed it to him. It was the right size and from what he judged of the boy it would be the right wait, but he knew it wasn't the right stick for him. It was a test.  
"I think this one here, will be the one to win you, you games."  
  
Adam looked at and ran his hands over it. It was certainly pretty, bright and shiny, painted silver and blue, but it wasn't what he wanted.  
"Winning isn't that important, I just wanna play, and have fun while I'm doing it." He told the man putting the stick back.  
  
Hans nodded and smiled again.  
"Are you sure you're going to be a Hawk?"  
  
"Yeah, why?"  
  
"No Hawk has ever refused the stick I gave them, when I practically guaranteed them a winning season. Forty years and that has never happened. I wonder now, if you have the heart of the Hawk. Well Adam Banks, I think maybe this one is more for you."   
  
When Adam left that night, he had a simple stick, that felt just right in his hands. He was ready to play and wondering what Hans had meant by 'the heat of a hawk'. 


	2. The Three Stooges

"Come on Adam, just get it passed me one more time and then we can go in." Phillip called from the end of the driveway where he stood in front of a practice net.  
  
"Phillip it's 9 O'clock, get Adam in the house." Mrs. Banks stuck her head out of the front door and yelled to her husband.  
  
"Just a little while longer Regina. Okay, come on son."  
  
Adam stood at the opposite end of the driveway, his eyes were barley open and he'd had his roller blades on so long he'd lost feeling in his toes. All of the little boys muscles ached, having not receiving a rest the entire day and still being sore from the try outs that morning to begin with. He pushed off and skated toward his father, with a flip of his wrist he sent the puck into the net and then fell to his knees in exhaustion.  
  
Nicholas had been sitting on the grass beside the drive and as Phillip turned to go in the house, he sprinted over and lifted his little brother off the ground.  
  
"Nick?" Adam opened his eyes as the older boy carried him up the spiral stair case to his room.  
  
"Yeah." His brother looked down at him  
  
"Was dad like this with you?" Adam asked as Nicholas put him down on his bed.  
  
Nick sighed and sat on the edge of Adam's bed. He ran his hand through his dark hair and then rubbed his eyes.  
"Dad pushes because he wants you to be the greatest you can be. He does it cuz he loves you. He wants you to be all that you can be."  
  
"So they why doesn't he just sign me up for the Army?" Adam muttered.  
  
"Well kiddo, there's that obstacle of you only being ten years old. You better get some sleep. Do you want to get you out some clothes?"  
  
"Nah, I'll get 'em. Thanks for bringing me in Nick."  
  
"No problem, that's what brothers are for and if it makes a difference Adam, I'm proud of you." Nick smiled and walked out of his brother's bedroom.  
  
Adam laid on his bed staring at his ceiling for a long time that night, the poster of Wayne Gretzky that hung above his head holding his attention. He wondered if 'The Great One's' father had pushed him so had when he was little Wayne, not the best hockey player to ever live. And if so was the deciding factor in what separate Gretzky from the rest, was that what made him great. Having a nagging father behind you would light a fire under anyone.   
  
But still, Adam didn't want to be the best, he just wanted to play hockey. There was nothing like being out on the ice, even at three when he first learned to skate, he had to be carried off it, he wouldn't leave. The first time Nicholas let him hold his old hockey stick, he knew that was his destiny.   
  
The next morning the sun warmed his fresh, young cheeks, through his bedroom window and he opened his eyes. He shot out of bed and dressed faster then 'The Flash' late for work. The smell of waffles were coming from the kitchen and as he raced down the stairs, he stumbled, tripped down four of the and bumped his elbow hard. When Adam looked at his elbow as he finished his journey to the breakfast table he noticed a bruise already starting to form.  
  
"That doesn't look to good MR. Banks." The housekeeper Sophie, told him as she poured the syrup over his waffles.  
  
"What doesn't?" The boy played dumb.  
  
"That black and blue, can you move your elbow?" Sophie took his small arm in her hands.  
  
"Yeah." Adam unbent his arm, but the housekeeper could see the pain in face.  
  
"Maybe you shouldn't go to practice to day."  
  
"Oh, no, no, no, no. I've got to go Sophie." The boy looked up at her with fear wide eyes. "I promise I'll take it easy, but this is my first practice I can't miss it. I'll be really careful. Please?"   
  
The women threw her hands up in the air.  
"Fine, fine. But if your parents find out, I didn't know about that bruise you got it?"  
  
"Yes ma'am."  
  
"Good now eat up, Teddy's taking you to practice today."  
  
Teddy was sort of a Jack of all trade master of none, in the Banks house hold. He was the maintenance man, gardener and occasional driver for the family. Instead of hiring a long list of staff for the house, Phillip and Regina had found people that were willing to handle more then one job, Sophie was also the cook and was the nanny when the boys were younger.  
  
"Teddy? Why, where's my father?"  
  
"He had to go into the office, but he told me to tell you 'good luck'. He was paged early this morning, it must have been important, you understand."  
  
Adam nodded and pushed a piece of waffle around on his plate, suddenly he wasn't hungry.  
IN THE LOCKER ROOM  
  
"Hey, you're Banks right?" Adam heard a voice call from behind him.  
  
He turned and was face to face with a smile light haired boy.  
"Yes."  
  
"Jonathon Larson, nice to meet you." The boy extended his hand.  
  
"Adam Banks." Adam told him shaking his hand.  
  
"I wasn't sure, I saw you at tryouts yesterday but you had your helmet on, so I wasn't sure. You were awesome yesterday."  
  
"Thanks." Adam beamed.  
  
"Steven, come over here." Larson waved to another boy. "This is that kid from tryouts, Adam Banks."  
  
"Cool, hi, Steven McGill."  
  
"Hi."  
  
The boys stood in the corner and talked for a while before coach Reilly came in. He went on ranting and raving about his mottos 'It's not worth playing is you can't win' and 'It's not worth winning if you can't win big.' The boys thought it was sort of funny and McGill even starting mocking the coach from behind. Bad idea, when the rest of the team started laughing, Reilly knew something was going on.  
  
"Okay, which one of you Three Stooges is causing trouble?" When none of the boys volunteered an answer, all three were ordered to go skate laps until he was finished talking to the rest of the team.   
  
'Not a great way to start things out.' Adam thought but then he realized, he'd only been there twenty minutes and he'd already made two friends and he was doing something he loved, maybe it wasn't that bad. 


	3. District Five

Adam laced his roller blades up tightly and zipped up his winter coat. It was a jet black jacket, with the Hawk's logo embroidered on the front, ad he walked passed the hall mirror and caught sight of his reflection, a sudden swell of pride filled him. He swear then and there, he'd never give up hockey for anything. Starting at the end of the hall, he began skating toward the front door, getting up speed as he went, unfortunately just when he was about to fly out the door and down the stoop, he was caught by the shoulders and halted.  
  
"Hold it young man, where do you think you're going?" Sophie asked pulling the boy back inside.  
  
"Just to meet up with some friends from the team." Adam replied.  
  
"And you didn't think to tell anyone?"  
  
"I told Nick, mom and dad don't care what I do, and you're just the house keeper Sophie." The boy retorted.  
  
The women nodded, as fresh as the comment was, he was right, she was just the maid.  
"True, though I doubt your parents would like to hear about how you're talking to me, so get going before I'm tempted to call them at the hotel."  
  
Adam smiled, U-turned in the living room and skated out the door.  
  
Larson and McGill were already waiting at the water fountain that was then dry for the winter, when he got there and he knew he was late.  
  
"Hey Adam, what took you so long?" Larson bladed up to him as McGill continued to sit on the rim of the Edina fountain.  
  
Adam sighed.  
"My maid was on a power trip because my parents are away for the weekend, she wouldn't let me leave."  
  
"I hate it when the help forgets their place." McGill declared as the two boys approached him.  
  
"Yeah." Larson agreed.  
  
"So what are we gonna do?" Adam changed the subject, from the way McGill referred to his household staff as 'the help' he knew the boy was not the best person to be discussing the situation with.  
  
"I was thinking we could over to Minneapolis, District Five is having practice at the pond, that's always entertaining." Steven suggested.  
  
"District Five?" Adam had know clue what the other boy was talking about.  
  
"There the team for the next district over, on other side of the lake. They're really lacking in everything." John explained.   
  
"You should see their uniforms and equipment, it's almost pitiful. But it's good a laugh." McGill added "What do you say?"  
  
"Sure." Adam consented, and the three were off.  
  
They stood off to the side of the pond, trying to go unnoticed at they watched the other team. McGill thought it was funny, Larson looked undecided and Adam, he just felt bad for them.  
  
Their goalie hid every time a puck came near him and the only one that could stand up on their skates of more then thirty seconds, from at far as the trio could tell, was a girl. But it wasn't really their lack of skill that made him sympathize with them, or the fact they looked more shabby then a bum off the street. It was the way their coach was screaming his fool head off at them, it reminded him of his dad, on those days that could actually be bothered with his youngest son.  
  
"Oh you suck! Where'd you learn how to play? Oh you suck, you can't you skate, little bastards!" Then suddenly, the fat grease man hit the ice like a ton of bricks holding his arm. Heart attack, not a good thing.  
  
"Can you believe how much they sucked?" McGill questioned, as the Stooges headed back to Edina.  
  
"I know, we could beat them one handed and blind folded." Larson stated.  
  
"No kidding." Adam concurred, not really finding it all that funny.   
  
The problem with Adam, was he wasn't one to stick up for himself, most of the time he kept his opinion quiet, to not anger anyone. He was the type of kid that wanted people to like him and Larson and McGill seemed like the best place to start on his quest for friends. And so he went along with the conservation, sticking a few halfhearted remarks on here and there, and perpetual thought about that coach and those District Five kids.  
  
Soon Adam found himself on his street, with his two new buddy's beside him. His brother was in the driveway just getting out his car and he nodded to them as he walked into the house.  
  
"Was that Nicholas Banks?" Larson gasped, recognizing the older Banks brother from a picture in Reilly's office.  
  
"Uhuh, he's my brother." Adam affirmed.  
  
"Wow, he's like a legand."  
  
"You'd think that sharing a last name and incredible skills would be a hint their related." Steven rolled his eyes. "Anyway, I'm having a birthday party Sunday Adam, just some kids from around my neighborhood, girls and guys. You should come, you can even bring someone if you want."  
  
"Cool, yeah I'll be there thanks." Adam grinned.  
  
"Adam Banks, get your blue eyed butt in the house." Nick yelled out the door.  
  
Adam made an embarrassed face and turned to open the gate.  
"See you Sunday guys." He waved and ran into the house.  
  
~* Well I need some people to be the guest at McGill's party and maybe even someone to be Banks' date. So if anyone is willing to fill those positions, review or email me with some info on yourself. Thanks*~ 


	4. Normal Friends

~* I'm apologizing in advance to the rest of the volunteers to be Banksie's date, but I picked Quimby. Don't despair however because Brittany and Alix are both getting some attention from Adam at the party, I hope you're not offended by how you're portrayed.*~  
Adam knocked on the door at the McGill residence and patiently waited for it to be opened. Loud music was coming from the inside and the sound of telling adolescents could be heard even above that.  
  
"Why did I have to wear a stupid dress?" The tiny redhead standing beside him, pulling at the hem of her skirt.  
  
"Oh come on Quimby, it's not that bad." Adam told her. "Beside you're aunt Sophie thought you looked nice."  
  
"Oh what does she know?" The petite girl grumbled. "You know I'm not going to like these people."  
  
"Yup, but being you're the only girl my age I know, so that means you had to come with me. Plus, my family pays your aunt." The boy stated and knocked again.  
  
Quimby stuck out her tongue and blew a raspberry at Adam just as the door swung open, with Steven McGill standing on the other side.  
  
"Hi Adam, come on in." The host stepped back to allow his guest to enter. "So, who is this?" He gestured to Banks' date.  
  
"This my friend Sara, but call her Quimby, if you know what's good for you." Banksie replied handing McGill his present a puck sighed by the Minnesota North Stars starting line up.  
  
McGill nodded and led the two into the huge formal dining room, that was filled with food, decorations, a DJ and kids. Instantly Quimby started to fidget, ten seconds around those spoiled, stuck up, preppy snobs was already too much.   
  
"Adam, I wanna go." She tugged on his sleeve.  
  
"We can't go yet, we just got here." The boy told her.  
  
"I don't get enough in my allowance to talk to these people." The girl whispered fiercely.  
  
"Hey Adam, come over here!" Larson yelled from across the room.  
  
"Please Q, these guys are really cool and they want to be friends with me, don't ruin it for me." Banks pleaded.  
  
Sara sighed.  
"Okay, but you own me."  
  
"Anything, mingle, have fun and please behave." And bounded off to see what Larson wanted, leaving Quimby alone.  
  
"Adam, I'd like you to meet Alix and Brittany, they go to school with Steven and me. They've been watching you since you came in." John introduced him to a couple of girls that were standing next to him giving Banks the eyes. Then he walked away to find McGill.  
  
"Hi, it's nice to meet you." Adam extended his hand and the girls giggled.  
  
"Hello." They said in unison.  
  
That's when Banks came to the conclusion, girls at the age of ten were just to weird for him, but he was raised better then that so he smiled politely and asked if they'd like to dance with him. They both happily agreed.  
  
Quimby was standing by the snack table, absentmindedly stirring the punch in the bowl with the server. She really, really wanted to go home.  
  
"I was looking at the schedule this morning," Larson began, taking a cookie off the platter by Sara. "we've got a District Five game Tuesday."  
  
"Gee that'll be worth wild, what a waste of our talent. My grandma could beat those guys." McGill said snidely. "I don't even know why they bother to show up."  
  
"Neither do I."  
  
Quimby dropped the ladle in the punch and jogged around the table, getting toe to toe with McGill. She stared up at the boy like he wasn't eight inches taller then her.  
"What's your problem with the District Five team?"  
  
"They suck." McGill retorted "And they're useless."  
  
"You know what, they may not be good hockey players, but they're really nice people and they're fun. Guy Germaine's been my best friend since I was three and Charlie Conway live upstairs from me." She put her hands on her hips. "And lastly, Adam's maid is not the help, she's my family." With that she kicked him hard in the shin and ran.  
  
Adam was attempting to dance with Alix and Brittany (something that was hard for him to do, being no Banks ever had rhythm) when Sara came running toward him and grabbed his arm.  
"Adam, we gotta go."  
  
"What, why?" Banks looked at her confused, then held up a finger to instruct his dancing partners to wait.  
  
"I, uh, I just kicked your friend, so let's go." The tiny girl mustered up all her strength and proceeded to pull Banksie out of the house.  
  
And so ended his day out. And he wasn't looking forward to hearing what Larson and McGill were going to have to say to him the next time they saw him. Why couldn't fate just let him have friends, real friends, normal friends. 


	5. Number 9 is jinxed

Adam pushed the locker room door open and looked around, noticing he was the only one to arrive yet. He rested his stick against his locker and tugged his sweater off. Pulling his pads over his head gave him a boost of excitement, the boy could hardly believe this would be his first official game. Just the thought made his pulse pump faster, hockey was in his blood. He picked up his stick and carried it over to the bench in the locker room, laying it beside him, gently as if it were a sleeping baby.  
  
"Banks, are you the only person here?" Adam heard the door open and close as Coach Reilly entered.  
  
The boy looked up from tying his skates and nodded.  
"Yes sir."  
  
"Figures, your brother was always the first one into the locker room too. You've got some big shoes to fill Banks, I hope you're up to it."  
  
"I can do it."  
  
"That's what I thought, that's why I'm putting you in as first line right wing."  
  
"That's the position Nick played."  
  
"Yeah, I might put you in at center sometimes to, make you an all a rounder, like the last kid I let wear 9." Reilly pinned the roster up to the board.  
  
"Gordon Bombay." Adam acknowledged. "He was the last Hawk to wear number 9."  
  
"He blew a championship game, his heart wasn't in it. But, I think you're gonna go all the way Banks. I'm going up to the bench, tell the rest of the team to check out the roster and meet me out there where they're ready."  
  
"Yes sir." He repeated, this time as the coach left the room.  
  
A few minutes later the rest of the team started coming in, in a hurried pace, unlike Adam they had to rush. He didn't say a word to Larson or McGill he was nervous they'd be mad at him about the stunt Quimby had pulled at Steven's party. So he sat very quietly on the same bench he'd been sitting on when Reilly walked in and rolled his stick in his hands. He was about to just get up and leave when Larson came over and sat next to him.  
  
"Your friend left a big bruise on McGill's shin." He declared.  
  
Adam sighed.  
"I guess I should apologize to him huh?"  
  
"What for? You didn't tell her to kick me did?" McGill's voice queried from the back of him.  
  
Adam turned his head and smiled.  
"Nope, but I did know that she has a tendency to be violent."  
  
"Don't worry about it, if anybody asks, I'll say it's a hockey injury."  
  
"So did you guys look at the roster?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm left wing." Larson stated.  
  
"I'm the starting center." McGill added.  
  
"I'm the right wing, we'll all be on the ice together." Adam interjected.  
  
"Cool." Both of the others said in unison.  
  
"Hey Banks, you're number 9, isn't that jinxed?" One of the other players by the name of King inquired.  
  
"Nah, that's just a stupid fairytale." McGill waved it off. "Come on guys, let's go watch District Five warm up."  
  
The three boys went out to the ice, soon followed by the everyone else. Once all the players were there, Reilly ordered them into warms ups. Unfortunately his idea of warms ups bared striking resemblance to things you're forced to do as punishment when you back talk to the drill sergeant in the Army. By the time warms ups were over half the team was beyond pumped, or beyond tired. Adam could not decided which he was. But he was glad when the coach called them all over the bench, where Adam took a seat. It was the first game and he wasn't about to risk getting yelled at by harassing the other team like Larson and McGill were doing. But he couldn't help but laugh as they skated over to the District Five kids and called them girls. From what they'd seen the other day at the pond, the whole team played like a bunch of girls, with the exception of the actual girl. Connie Moreau looked mean and violent.  
  
By the time the game was over the Hawks had totally decimated their opponents and Adam had set a new one game record. He was even more excited when he learned the person he'd knocked out was the legend Gordon Bombay, the very guy that had coached District Five to a score les first game. It was wonderful.  
  
"I beat a record set by Gordon Bombay, even you couldn't do that Nick." Adam told his brother as they went to Nicholas's car in the parking lot.  
  
Nick grinned and opened the trunk for his little brother to stuff his gear inside.  
"No, even I couldn't do that, you were great."  
  
"It's not like other team was hard to beat though. Reilly even told us 'That was a lousy third period, anyone can beat these pansies.', I think I agree"  
  
"Who you calling pansies Cake-Eater?" A harsh voice yelled from the window of the beat up old minivan next to them.  
  
"You and you're team." Adam shot back, not knowing exactly what a Cake-Eater was, but it couldn't be something good.  
  
"How about I get out of the car and mangle your preppy little face?"  
  
"I quiver with fear, bring it on, if you can get out of the crappy van without it falling apart."  
  
"That's it you're dead." The back door on the van slid open, and a loud mouthed black kid got halfway out before his father reached around in his seat and caught his shirt.  
  
"Jess get your ass back in this car before I kick it." The boy was yanked back into his seat and the door slid close with a slam.  
  
When Adam got into the car Nick was sitting in the drivers seat with his eyebrows raised. His little brother buckled the passenger side seatbelt with an embarrassed blush, he'd never so much as been in an argument with Nick before. Now he back talking Sophie and starting fights with other players in the rink parking lot, that just wasn't Adam.  
  
Nick started the engine and looked over his shoulder to back out of the parking spot.  
"What was all that about?"  
  
"Nothing," Adam replied. "just some District Five kid running his mouth, I think his name's Hall."  
  
"The Halls, Jesse and Terry, I heard the announcer mention their names. You know he would've killed you."  
  
"I dunno, I think I could handle him. I've a fully functioning brain, unlike him."  
  
"If it were functioning that well, you wouldn't be picking fights little bro."  
  
"Where'd Dad go?" Adam changed the subject.  
  
"He had to go back to work, but he saw the game. He wanted to tell you, you played excellent, but he wants to work more on your handling when he gets home and to take you out for ice cream or pizza. What do you want?" Nick eased out of the lot and started toward the center of town.  
  
"I can't decide."  
  
"Okay, ice cream pizza." Nick teased and Adam laughed. It seemed the only two times he was really happy was playing hockey or hanging in with his brother. 


	6. Ripped Jacket

Adam, Larson and McGill glided down the Minnesota sidewalk babbling about their game  
  
against the Hornets the nigh before. They'd won of course, they always did, but none of  
  
their wins had been by as much as the one a week before against District Five. The entire  
  
team was still laughing about it.  
  
"You did good yesterday Adam, I guess Bombay's luck isn't contagious." Larson  
  
laughed.  
  
"We've got a championship to win before we can be sure." McGill added.  
  
Adam smiled at the complimented and nodded in agreement about of the championship.  
  
That would be the thing that got his father to relax on him, if he just brought home a  
  
championship trophy then Philip could stop pushing him so hard. And stop trying to make  
  
him Nick. He loved his brother, he just didn't want to be his brother.  
  
As the 'Stooges', which Reilly had taken to calling them, skated down the road a car with  
  
a Blake high parking pass in the back window, pulled up along side of them and the tinted  
  
driver's side window rolled down. Adam recognized it instantly but he was content not to  
  
saying anything at first. Enjoying the frightened expressions on his friends faces.  
  
"Hey little boy, want a ride, I've got some candy for you?" A friendly voice asked from  
  
the drivers seat.  
  
Larson and McGill looked like deer caught in headlights and Adam laughed, pushing  
  
forward and blading over to the car.  
  
"I thought you had a college workshop thing today at school?"  
  
"I do." The person replied. "But thanks to an hour long lecture from mom and dad about  
  
which college I should go too, I missed it. I've got twenty minutes before the next one  
  
starts. You need a ride somewhere little brother?"  
  
"Nah, we're just going to the movies."  
  
Suddenly Steven and John regained there voices, the person in the car was their idol, there  
  
was no chance they were going to let the chance to hang with him go to waste.  
  
"But it's really cold out Adam." John Larson spoke up.  
  
Steve McGill added.  
  
"Yeah, I think we should take the ride instead staying out here and getting sick."  
  
The boys all piled into Nicholas's car and the older Banks let go of the brake, easing back  
  
into traffic. He let the new Hawks out in front of the cinema and told Adam in no  
  
uncertain terms was he to leave that neighborhood. Always responsible Nick wanted to  
  
make sure his kid brother could be found in case of an emergency. And made it very clear  
  
he'd be back to pick them up as soon as he could. Then he tossed Adam an extra ten  
  
dollar bill and left then waiting outside of the theater for it to open.  
  
"You're brother goes to Blake?" Larson suddenly queried as they sat on a bench out side  
  
of the movies.  
  
"That's one of the best hockey schools in the state." His other bubby declared.  
  
Adam nodded.  
  
"Yeah, but it's not the best, Eden Hall's the best. Mark my words I'm gonna go there one  
  
day."  
  
After fifteen minutes of waiting for Nick come back and aggravated at how crappie their  
  
movie had turned out to be the boys were beginning to go restless, that was until they  
  
spotted a few of the District Five kids in an alley across the street. Still wearing their roller  
  
blades from earlier they set off.  
  
After stating that one of the other boy's mother was busy boinking the mailman Adam  
  
realized they'd probably bitten of more then he and his friends could chew, they were  
  
greatly out numbered. But trying to not show fear like his father always taught him, the  
  
three flipped David Karp into a pile of garbage and proceeded to pick a fight with the  
  
whole team.  
  
The next thing the unsuspecting adolescent knew he being hauled by his shoulders into  
  
that very same trash. With lightening speed he and McGill and Larson zoomed out of the  
  
alley and back across the street to the movie theater parking lot. That's where they  
  
bumped into Mike Brown, another boy from the team.  
  
"I've been looking all over you for guys, I called all your houses but I was told you guys  
  
were all out. You gotta come over, I just got the coolest video game." Brown's face was  
  
lit like a Christmas tree.  
  
"I can't, I have to wait for my brother." Banks told them, thinking somebody would surely  
  
stay with him. He was wrong, the next thing he knew he was alone in the parking lot.  
  
His friends deserted him, his prized Hawk's jacket had a rip in from something in one of  
  
the trash bags he'd landed on and he smelled pretty disgusting. It was at time like that ,  
  
that he felt the most depressed, when no one was around to see him was usually when he  
  
did most of his crying, that day wasn't any different. Staring out into the parking lot, with  
  
nothing to really focus on the cars in front of him began to blur from tears.  
  
"Oh poor little rich boy, what's the matter your pretty jacket ruined now. It's not like you  
  
can't just go get a new one." A familiar and rude voice shattered his self pitting thought.  
  
"It has nothing to do with the jacket Hall, lust go away." He snapped at the cocky black  
  
kid from an opposing team.  
  
"Jesse, my name is Jesse, got that cake-eater. So what's you problem then if it ain't that  
  
coat? You're embarrassed cuz Fulton beat your ass, huh?"  
  
"No, I could give a crap about that."  
  
"Well then tell what's goin' on preppy."  
  
"You wouldn't understand, just go away."  
  
"See, I knew you Edina fools were all the same." Jesse hopped up from the bench. "But  
  
here I was tryin' to give you the benefit of the doubt. You ain't nothing but some in bred  
  
white candy ass. I'm out."  
  
With that Adam was left alone again. This time he didn't mind it, if he never ran into  
  
someone from that team again it would to soon. Little did he know the next time he did, it  
  
would be in the form of coach Bombay and it would be on his last day as a Hawk. 


	7. Heart Of A Duck

"450 North Hennipen Avenue, is that your address?" That was the first thing Adam heard as he skated over to the bench where the District Five Coach and Adam's idol Gordon Bombay was standing with Coach Reilly, Mr. Banks and a strange guy in a suit. It didn't matter what was going on though, the fact that his father had actually shown up at a game had the boy in such a good mood, he thought he could deal with anything. At least that's what he thought.  
  
"Well then I'm afraid there's no mistake." The stranger declared. "This boy is playing for the wrong team."  
  
The young boy couldn't believe what he'd just heard.  
  
"What?" He asked confused our of his prepubescent mind.  
  
"According to league rules, Adam Banks should he playing for district five." The man added.  
  
Anger flashed across Philip's face, his son was the best and no way would a child of his play for any team but the best. The Hawks were the best and the Ducks, they were well, not.  
  
"My son is a Hawk, not a Duck."  
  
"Is this your doing Gordon?" Reilly accused as if Coach Bombay had in some way convinced the league to move the boundaries, or forced the Banks family to live in the wrong area.  
  
Bombay however didn't seem to see fit to dignify it with an answer.  
  
"I'll expect to see him at our next game." Then he turned o Adam. "We'll have a uniform waiting for you."  
  
The most clever response the angry child could come up with was.  
  
"No way."  
  
But the entire conversation seemed to became inaudible after his father's words.  
  
"My so would rather not play then play for your team."  
  
Adam's jaw hung open, he hadn't said that. He'd never say something like that. No matter how much he loved being a Hawk, he loved just playing hockey more. It was his life, his escape, his reason for getting out of bed in the morning. The one thing he knew he had that he was ever better then his brother at. Hockey, was his world.  
  
The man in the suit agreed to let Adam play for the Hawks in one last game, but made it very clear that if he dressed for any game after that Reilly's team would have to forfeit. It was like a smack in the face for the boy, he was no longer going to be the best player on the best team. How would he show his face at home? What would his Hawk friends say to him? What would the Ducks say to him? Obviously his head wasn't completely in the game.  
  
Philip stayed for the game, but left directly afterward, meaning Adam would have to walk, That didn't bother him for two reasons, 1) that meant he didn't have to rush changing so he could meet his father in the parking lot and 2) having some alone time would give him the opportunity to think. He entered the locker room after his last game as the Hawk's number one player and sat on the bench, not wanting to take his jersey off.  
  
"Hey Adam are you planning on changing?" Larson sat down next to him on the bench.  
  
"Huh? Oh yeah." The fair-haired preteen nodded, pulling his jersey over his head. Then he just sat there holding it in his hands, staring at the small white Hawk logo embroidered on the front.  
  
McGill sat on the bench opposite the two and began to unlace his skates.  
  
"So what's wrong Banks? Coach and your dad looked really pissed earlier."  
  
"I'm off the team, I'm suppose to be on District Five, so either I have to play with them, or I can't play at all." The depressed youngster explained.  
  
"Wow, that stinks Adam." John declared.  
  
"You've gotta play for the Duck? You'll never win a championship with them." Steve snickered.  
  
Adam nodded sullenly.  
  
"I know."  
  
The rest of the team didn't say anything to him as they finished dressing. None were sure weather to look at him as the enemy now, or simply a fallen Hawk. Packing his bag and leaving the locker room was the hardest thing Adam had ever had to do in his young life. He took one last look over his shoulder as the door closed before exiting the rink dejected.  
  
Adam didn't know where he was going to go when he left. He didn't really want to go home, he knew the sort of mood his father would be in. It was almost certain when he entered the front door Philip would be in a shouting match with either his wife or eldest son, because both would try to calm him down. That would only serve to make him angrier. The boy walked around with no real direction, his soul destination was anywhere but the Banks living room. Then suddenly he was in the last place he expected, but what was really the best place possible, Hans's skate shop.  
  
He pushed open the door and the bell jingled familiarly. The lights were all off and the shop seemed to be closed, Adam was just about to turn and leave when he heard a voice.  
  
"That stick not working out for you?" Hans stepped out of a back room and walked over to the register.  
  
"Huh? Oh no, it's a great stick." Adam bit his lip "In fact I don't even know why I'm here."  
  
"You're here because you love the game."  
  
"How do you know that?"  
  
"I can see it in your eyes, just like a boy that use to come here along time ago. He'd sneak in after dark too, but he used the back door." Hans laughed and waved Adam to follow him to the sofa in the back.  
  
Adam sat down and cracked his knuckles, a nervous habit that was getting worse as of late.  
  
"They took me off my team."  
  
"I know, you are playing for Gordon Bombay's Ducks now."  
  
"How do you know that?" The boy asked again.  
  
Hans only smiled.  
  
"You're not meant to be a Hawk Adam, no player that truly loves the game should play under Reilly. You have the heart of a Duck, I can tell. All you have to do is follow it."  
  
When Adam left there that night he felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from his young shoulders. The only problems he had to face now were his father and his friends 


	8. Trashed Bedrooms

~* I have finally figured out who Nicholas is going to be. And I've come to the conclusion he is Tom Welling from Small Ville. I think he could be Adam's older brother, since I already mentioned the Nick had dark hair like their father. So that completes the Banks family tree*~  
  
Adam crept up the walkway to his house, stashing his gear bag in the gardener's shed to avoid having any unnecessary clattering when he tried to sneak up stairs. He even made sure to take off his sneakers and leave them on the front porch. He could see through the living room window that his father was on the sofa watching CNN and he really wanted to evade the three hour 'discussion' on the team trade, he knew he'd be in for if caught, not to mention the reaming he was certain to receive for coming home so late. The front door clicked closed so quietly it could barely be heard and he skittered up the stairs in stocking feet careful not to make much noise.  
  
Without stopping to knock Adam burst into his brother's room, finding Nicholas's girlfriend Kory sitting on his bed rather then his brother himself. He was about to back out and shut the door behind him when Kory looked up from the science book she was studying from and smiled.  
  
"Hey Adam, Nicky's in the bathroom. Come sit down, he'll be out in a minute."  
  
The boy nodded and walked further into the room, pulling out Nick's desk chair and sitting in it. He didn't mind being alone with Kory for a little while, in fact he sort of liked her, at least she was on the one girl that his brother brought home he approved of. She wasn't like the other girls at Eden Hall, (with exception of her trim build, shiny honey colored hair and teal eyes) that followed Nicholas around because he was an athlete and handsome or paid attention to him for the simple fact that their parents belonged to the same country club as the Banks'. Also she didn't look at Adam as a pest when he hung around them like allot of the other girl's did. She understood that Nick was Adam's best friend and it was cool with her. The best thing about her though was just her in general, there weren't many girls in the world like her and everyone knew Nicholas was lucky to find her. She wasn't really wealthy she was the daughter of a retired Marine and spent most of her life in Georgia and grew up being hard of hearing so she knew what it was like to have to work hard. Those two things alone made her a sweet person that her boyfriend's little brother enjoyed being around.  
  
"I heard about you being sent to another team. Nick and your dad were fighting about it. I didn't really get most of what was said though, they were yelling to quickly for me to read their lips."  
  
"I don't wanna go to the Ducks, but I just want to play hockey. Do you know what I mean?" The young boy asked, knowing that she probably did.  
  
"I do, it's like I love being the first chair violinist in the school orchestra and if they wanted to move me to second or third chair, I wouldn't want to go, but I love my violin so I'd go."  
  
"Yeah kinda like that sweetie, but not exactly." Nick partly agreed reentering his room with a towel tied securely around his hips. "How are you feeling little brother, are you doing okay?"  
  
"I'll be alright, besides I shouldn't get all worried about it. Dad'll have it all worked out by the weekend anyway right?"  
  
"Knowing our father, he'll have it worked out by tomorrow. I just hope he doesn't decide to talk to me about it again, that's the first time we ever fought and I hope the last. You know what he said to me? 'Why can't you be more like your brother, he's respectful?' Can you believe that? I thought I was the good son."  
  
Adam cracked his knuckles again and rose from the chair he was seated in. It felt good to know that for once he'd been considered the better son in something, but some how knowing it was only because Nicholas was defending him was depressing. Without a word he left the room and crossed the hall, flopping on his bed with a sigh. Why did Nick have to be so perfect all the time? He had perfect hair and the perfect girlfriend, hung out with the perfect people and did the perfect things. The older boy got perfect grades and wear perfect clothes. He was so perfect that on the rare occasion that he actually irked his younger sibling , Adam couldn't even stay mad at him longer then five minutes. How can you be mad at someone that never does anything wrong? Maybe Adam was just in a foul mood, or maybe Nicholas's comment about being the good son set him off, either way the boy started flipping out.  
  
He was pulling posters off his walls and scribbling on the faces of some of his hockey cards. His gear was still in the gardener's shed from earlier luckily or he more then likely would've broken his stick in half and cut slices in his hockey sheets with the blade of his skates. When his mother called into him that he had a phone call his room looked like a cyclone hit it and he wasn't even finished trashing it yet.  
  
"Hello?" Adam tried to keep his voice level as he picked up the extension in his room.  
  
"Hi Banks, it's John." The person on the other end greeted.  
  
"Hey Larson, what's up?"  
  
"Well I just got back from going with my dad to pick up the rent at one of our apartments in Minneapolis and I ran into one of the kids from the Ducks. I guess I'm Connie Moreau's land lord, anyway she said that there is no more Ducks. She told me when the team found out they were getting you, that all the players quit. If your dad can get Gordon Bombay to disband the team they have to let you play for us cause we're the closest district with a team."  
  
"That's awesome! Thanks Larson, I'm gonna go tell him, um right after I clean my room." Adam hung up quickly and started cleaning up faster then the flash on inspection day, he knew once his father found out there was no way he'd have to leave his team or lose his friends. So much for the talk he'd had with Hans, he may have loved hockey enough to play anywhere he could, but if he didn't have to swap teams he sure as heck wasn't going to. 


	9. Adam speaks his mind

Adam's elementary school didn't have classes that day because of some teachers workshop so he used the time to sleep. When he woke up at noon and went down stairs there was nobody around except the house keeper. He walked to the kitchen and hopped up on the counter while Sophie scrubbed out the sink.  
  
"Well, well, well, nice of you to join us this morning Adam." The women smiled tossing down the sponge that was in her hand.  
  
"I was up late last night." The boy explained.  
  
"Couldn't you sleep?"  
  
"Not really."  
  
"If it's about the team switching thing, your father went to talk to the Ducks sponsor this morning, I imagine he should be back soon. I bet you he'll fix everything for you."  
  
"I hope so." Adam replied swinging his feet.  
  
Sophie patted the boys knee and walked over to the refrigerator and pulled the door open.  
  
"Can I fix you something for breakfast, well lunch now?"  
  
"Um sure, a grilled cheese."  
  
"There's some of my world famous tomato soup in the freezer, would you like me to warm some up to go with your sandwich?"  
  
"Please, that would be great. I'll go get dressed while you do that, thanks Sophie." The boy jumped off the counter and ran up the stairs to his room.  
  
It was great, the Ducks were in the process of disbanding and Mr. Banks was working on their sponsor. There was roughly no way Adam would ever have to play for district five. He was practically dancing around his bedroom as he got dressed. Just to show some Hawk pride Adam pulled on a dark blue sweat shirt and black pants, then he put on Nick's old Hawks baseball cap. At the sound of his father's car driving up he flew down the stairs and waited at the front door.  
  
"Hello Adam, come into the living room with me, will you? I have something to tell you." Philip's face was expressionless as always and his son couldn't tell if he was in store for good news or bad.  
  
Adam nodded,  
  
"Okay dad."  
  
Mr. Banks put his briefcase down on the coffee table and loosened his tie as if he were stressed or annoyed. With a puzzled face Adam took a seat in the armchair across from the sofa and waited. He wished his father would just spit it out, the waiting was killing him. Adam Banks was not a patient young boy and all he wanted was to hear the words 'You don't have to be a Duck.'  
  
"Son, you remember my good friend Gerald Ducksworth right?" Phil asked exhaling heavily.  
  
"The one that has those really big Christmas parties every year?" Adam guessed.  
  
"That's him, well I found out late last night that he is the sponsor for the District Five Ducks and I went to speak with him about leaning on Bombay not to take you…"  
  
"That's great, so everything is good now right? I can play on the Hawks!" The boy cut him off overzealous.  
  
"Not exactly Adam, you see we got in touch with the league chairman and agreed to let you remain on the Hawks as long as Bombay is willing to drop it and not fight for you. To get to the point when Gerald told Gordon it was either you and no job or a job and no you, he quit. I'm sorry Adam but you've got to quit hockey."  
  
Adam's jaw hung open for a minute. Why did he have to give up hockey? That wasn't part of the bargain was it? If it was his father had neglected to inform his of that detail.  
  
"Why do I have to stop playing? I didn't do anything wrong."  
  
"If you continue to play Adam you'll have to play for the Ducks. Do you realize how embarrassing that would be for this family? Banksess are the best, you're brother was a Hawk, the best they had, I won't allow you to make a fool of yourself with those losers. It's better you switch to some other sport rather then disgrace us."  
  
The boy could feel his blood begin to bubble, his father must have been outside of his mind. There was no way he was giving up hockey. He didn't care if he had to play in an all girls' league to get a shot at the puck. Hockey was what got inside of him, what lit him up and let his come alive.  
  
"The only person my playing for the Ducks would embarrass is you dad. Mom loves me no matter what and nothing embarrasses her and Nick just wants me to be happy and you know it. That's why you two got into that fight last night, Nick wants you to let me be me. I do to, I'm not Nicholas, I'm not perfect like him, I'm Adam and Adam wants to play hockey. I don't care what jersey I wear, or who I call coach. I don't want to be Nick, I don't want to be perfect, I don't want to be the best of the best. I just want to be me, me, me, me! I'm going to play for D5 if I have to, and if you won't take me to the game tomorrow I'll find a ride, I'll walk if I have to!"  
  
In a flash of hot tears the boy raced up to his room and slammed the door behind him. He just wanted to play, that's all he ever wanted. How did everything get so complicated? He'd never spoken to his father like that, he'd never spoken to anyone like that. Then again no one had ever tried to take hockey from him before. Come hell or high water he'd be at the game the next night, he wasn't letting his pompous windbag of a father win. 


	10. Getting His New Feathers

Adam sighed and took a look around his room to see if there was anything he forgot to load into his gear bag. He had everything he could think of and had in fact he'd already checked and double checked his bag twice. Subconsciously the boy was stalling, the thought of starting his first day as a Duck was unnerving. Plus the fact that he'd all but been disowned by his father wasn't helping any. Seeing that he was all packed he zipped his bag, tossed it over his shoulder and ran down the stairs, and out the front door.  
  
"Where do you think you're going little brother?" Nick had heard the front door close and had gotten up off the couch, to reach the porch just in time to stop his little brother was leaving the yard.  
  
Adam stopped at the front gate and turned around, shielding his eyes from he sun with his hand.  
  
"I have a game, I gotta get walking or I'm gonna be late."  
  
The older Banks brother shook his head.  
  
"No you're not, get in the car I'll drive you."  
  
"No, it's okay Nick, Kory's here, hang out with her, I'll walk."  
  
"Adam, I'm bigger then you, if I have to pick your ass up and toss you in the car, I'll do it. So go stuff your shit in the trunk, I'm going to get my girlfriend and my jacket and I'll be out in a second."  
  
With a Cheshire cat grin Adam put his gear in the trunk of his brother's car and climbed into the back seat. It was never planned but in the back of his head, he'd known Nicholas was going to bail him out. When Nick came out in his Blake High jacket, with Kory on his arm Adam smiled again, his brother really was the coolest. Nick turned on the radio and Kory crinkled her nose at him, like he smelled like moldy cheese or something.  
  
"What?" He looked at her confused.  
  
"Oh nothing." Kory rolled her eyes.  
  
Adam reached over the seat and tapped his brother on the shoulder.  
  
"Nick, you're cool but you're not to bright are you?"  
  
"What are you talking about Adam?"  
  
"Does your girlfriend listen to the radio?"  
  
"Oh right, thanks Adam." Nicholas laughed and turned the stereo back off. "Sorry sweetie."  
  
Adam snorted and leaned back in his seat with a grin, his brother and Kory were going to make great parents one day. He just wished they could rub off on his parents. But then Philip and Regina were ideal parents, to Nick. That's where he learned it from.  
  
"Thanks for the ride Nick, the game should be over around 5:00 if you're planning on coming back to get me." Adam got out and walked to the front of the car an leaned in Kory's door.  
  
"No way little brother, we're staying for the game." Nick told him. "So get off the side so we can park."  
  
As Adam turned to walk into the building he was so excited. How could he have thought Nicholas was going to let him start on a new team and not stay to watch? That was foolish, of course super brother was going to stay. It couldn't be any other way, Nick was perfect after all. It was hard for Adam not to be bitter about his brother's constant flaunting of his perfect ness.  
  
As he walked down the back hall of the rink, Adam literally ran into Larson and McGill, crashing with full force into McGill's chest and falling down. It was just his luck that the Hawks would've had a game that same day, which had just gotten over.  
  
"Traitor." Steven spat at him like venom, without so much as offering a helping hand to pull his former friend to his feet.  
  
"Huh?" Adam was to stunned for words, and his tailbone hurt like hell to boot.  
  
McGill muttered something about destroying 'Duck Scum' and surged off down the hall with a robot like stiffness.  
  
"Did I miss something?"  
  
"Don't worry about him, Adam." Larson held out his hand and hoisted up the other boy.  
  
Adam dusted of his dark jeans and picked his gear bag back up.  
  
"Okay, so what's all that traitor stuff about.?"   
  
Larson chewed the inside of his cheek tentatively.  
  
"Well, I don't really know how else to say this, but you've sorta been labeled a ,Benedict Arnold . Coach Reilly, doesn't want us to talk to you anymore."  
  
"Are you serious?"  
  
"As a heart attack, so I better get going before he sees me fraternizing with the enemy. Um… maybe I'll call you tonight."  
  
Adam finished his walk to the locker room in a daze, he wasn't a traitor. He still wanted to be friends with the Hawks, especially Steven and John. So what if he was on different team, what should that matter? It wasn't like the Ducks were going to stand in the Hawks way of winning the championship, they'd be lucky in they even made the play offs. Then suddenly he wasn't hurt anymore, suddenly he was angry. If the Hawks were his really friends they wouldn't just drop him because Reilly told them to. Most of the team didn't even like the coach, he remembered all the conversations he'd had with the other two stooges about their distain for the pushy instructor. They were all twofaced and if that was the away they wanted to play, he'd do his best to keep them down. As long as he could still stand up on his skates, Adam Banks would make sure he Ducks made it to the Championship game, those Hawks were going down.  
  
Frustrated he shoved the locker room door open and the mindless chatter he'd heard coming up the hall instantly ceased. All eyes were on him, some burning holes in his fair skin, others making the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. The tension was so thick you could practically see it as it pushed down on the ten year old boy's shoulders. He was just about ready to turn tail and run, proclaiming he was going to switch to tennis, when Bombay walked in and patted him on the shoulder.  
  
"Hey, I didn't think you'd show up." His new Coach certainly had a far more friendly voice then his former one had.  
  
"Whatever, I just want to play hockey." Adam grumbled shifting his gaze to the dingy grayish-white piled floor.  
  
"Ducks, you all know Adam Banks."  
  
Adam forgot himself for a second and almost smiled as one of the Ducks, he wasn't sure but he thought his name was Charlie Conway, stepped forward to greet him.  
  
"On behalf of the Ducks, I'd like to say well-"  
  
Unfortunately that friendly gesture would be cut short by Jesse Hall. Adam was really starting to hate that guy and he barley knew him well enough to recognize him on the street.  
  
"Cake-Eater." Jesse growled.  
  
Adam's stomach knotted, after the run in with his two ex-best friends he wasn't in the mood for an argument, he knew he didn't mentally have the strength.  
  
"Ohhh, Jesse dissin' the new guy, the Jester." The redheaded four eyed kid sitting beside Jesse on the bench started to ramble.  
  
"Shut up Averman!" Jesse snapped and turned his attention back to Adam. "Putting on a Duck's jersey doesn't make a real Duck."  
  
As the team began to push past Adam on their way out the door, a few took extra care to 'accidentally' elbow him in the arm on the way by. If the boy hadn't been kicking himself for his decision prior, he defiantly was after that.  
  
"They're a good group once you get to know them." Bombay tried to ease the boy's mind.  
  
But Adam only managed a half hearted,   
  
"I'll bet."  
  
"Well suit up, I'll see you on the ice."  
  
Once he was finally alone Adam walked over to a bench and plopped down with a exasperated sigh. His jersey was hanging from one of the lockers and gingerly he fingered the fabric. Number 99, that was the number Bombay had, had on his Ducks jersey. A little adventure through a stack of order forms that had just been left on Mr. Ducksworth's desk the last time Phil brought his youngest son by there had given him that information. Just the forbidden 9, then 99, he couldn't escape it, he was a mini Bombay.  
  
"I bet Bombay never chose hockey over his family, I bet Bombay never lost all his friends just to play. I bet Bombay's dad never made him pick between his father's love and the one thing that matters the most to him. I'm no Bombay fate, I'm me I'm Adam Banks!" he cried out into the other wise silent room. "I'm not Nick and I'm not Bombay!"  
  
As tear continued to trickle down his flushed cheeks he dressed. Why was life playing with him like that? Why couldn't be just be him, was that such a hard thing to ask? One final thing crossed his mind as he left the locker room for the ice. Would the Ducks be so nasty to him if they knew all he gave up, just to play with them? It didn't matter though, they're respect wasn't that important to him. At least not that second it wasn't, there was a game to win. 


	11. Hans's Smile

They won, of course they did, Adam had never played harder in his life. They all seemed so surprised at the win, he wasn't. He always won, hadn't lost a game since he was seven, against Nick. Adam wanted to celebrate and be covered in soda pop as they sprayed it all over the locker room, he didn't. He just sat on the very last bench in the back corner of the locker room. No one seemed to care that he'd excluded himself, in fact nobody even seemed to have noticed.  
  
Adam asked Nick to drop him off at the pond between their house and the part of the district where most of the other Ducks lived. He wouldn't be staying there, but he didn't want anyone to know where he was really going. He liked having a place that was secret, that was only for him. Adam wound up at the same place he always went when he was feeling depressed or bad about something. He went straight to Hans's skate shop.  
  
The old man was sitting at the counter near the register reading over the inventory list, with a cup of tea at his left hand side when the door opened. Hans looked up from his paper work and smiled. He'd been expecting Adam and had actually thought he'd be there sooner.  
  
"Hello Adam, I hear you had your first game as a Duck tonight. How did it go?" He sipped his tea and peered at the boy over the top of his cup.  
  
"Okay, I guess." Adam sighed. "We won, that was good."  
  
"You don't sound very happy about it."  
  
"I am, it's just… the team doesn't like me very much Hans. Jesse Hall, tried to pick a fight with me. I wish I was still on my own team."  
  
Hans nodded with a friendly smile. He was sort of like the grand father Adam never had since his mother's father died when she was young and his dad wasn't speaking to his own father. "Let me fix you some tea and then we can talk about it some more."  
  
"Thanks." Adam smiled back and sat down on the floor.  
  
A few minutes later the door flew open and another young boy with bright eyes came flying through it. "Hans's we won!" He exclaimed, panting from running.  
  
Adam looked over at his teammate with a timid expression. "He's in the back, he went to make some tea."  
  
"Oh, okay." The other boy acknowledged. "Hey Banks, I wanted to say good game today. You played great."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"Since Jesse isn't here, I can officially welcome you to the team."  
  
Adam's face nearly broke, so maybe that kid in the locker room wasn't just trying to be nice because the coach was around, maybe he really wanted to be friends. "Thanks, umm…Spaz-Way?"  
  
The other boy laughed. "It's Charlie, Charlie Conway." He extended his hand.  
  
"Adam Banks, but you already knew that." Adam took Charlie's hand and with a firm grasp shook it.   
  
"So Banks, where'd you learn to play like that? You're really great."  
  
Adam blushed. "Thanks, my older brother taught me."  
  
Hans stood behind the partition that separated the skate shop from his apartment and grinned as he listened to the boys. It was great to hear the way they chatted. The conversation never veered off of hockey, but there were tons of topics to be discussed. From favorite team to best uniform, they talked about it all.   
  
And the best part for Hans was when he over heard Adam ask Charlie. "Do you wanna come over?"  
  
"Too your house, in Edina?" Charlie nearly toppled over. "Definitely! Come on, I have to go tell my mom!"  
  
As the door to the shop jingled open and closed, Hans nodded putting Adam's tea cup down on the counter. It looked like he wasn't Adam's only friend anymore.  
  
~* Sorry so short, but I'm stuck for ideas at the moment, please don't hate me for the crappiness of this chapter.*~ 


	12. Yes Sir

The heavy black iron fences slammed closed behind the boys as the entered Adam's driveway. Charlie just stopped midway and stared up at the house. The shire size awed him, having lived most of his life in an apartment no bigger then a shoebox.  
  
"You live here?" Charlie gasped, dropping his gear bag from his shoulder.  
  
Adam smiled with a nod. "Yeah, don't worry it's not that big from the inside."   
  
Adam grabbed the other boy's hand and tugged him toward the front door. Once inside the foyer Charlie gawked again, he'd never been in a house with a foyer before, let alone one with a spiral staircase. So that's what the Edina Cake-eaters lived like, it was amazing. No wonder the Hawk's always came off so snotty, they were loaded.  
  
"I home!" Adam exclaimed tossing his sneakers in corner, it was a big no, no to wear your shoes on Mrs. Banks' white carpet. Then he leaned over and whispered. "Take your shoes off."  
  
"There you are little brother." Nick came out of the parlor with a six pack of cola in one hand and a bag of pretzels in the other. "You wanna watch the Star's game with me? Oh, and your friend too." The older turned to his sibling's new teammate. "Hey, I'm Adam's brother Nick, nice to meet you."  
  
Charlie gleefully took his hand, shaking it like he was in the presence of a celebrity. "Charlie, Charlie Conway.'"  
  
Adam snorted and rolled his eyes. "Yeah Nick, we'll be in a sec."  
  
"Okay, I'll go find the channel."  
  
As Nick walked away the spell bound Charlie Conway managed. "That was Nicholas Banks."  
  
"Yeah, I know he's my brother." Adam laughed.  
  
"He's like famous, he's the best Pee Wee player ever."  
  
"Nah, he's not that good. I beat him once. Though come to think of it, I bet he let me win. Come on, let's get in there before me miss the face off."  
  
Adam had the best time he'd had in the long time that night. He didn't have to pretend to be someone he wasn't around Charlie, like he did with Larson and McGill. In fact he'd found himself sticking pretzel rods up his nose and snorting like a walrus. It was so great to be able to act his age for once. It was something he really had needed.  
  
Things like happiness didn't last that long for the boy however. As soon Nick had left to take Charlie home and it was just Adam and his parents, the youngest Banks' smile faded. In less then fifteen minutes he went from happy to wishing he'd gone with his brother for the drive.  
  
"So your brother tells me you made the playoffs." Philip opened his briefcase and dug through a stack of papers without looking up and his smallest child.  
  
"Yes Sir." Adam replied quietly, fiddling with the hem of his shirt.  
  
"That's good. This means you'll be practicing more am I correct?"  
  
"Yes Sir."  
  
"That's what I thought. That pitiful team of yours is going to need all the help it can get."  
  
"Yes Sir."  
  
"Now you understand I distinctly told you, you weren't to play for District Five and you went against my wishes."  
  
"Yes Sir."  
  
"I should punish you, but your mother thinks it's best to let it go. Since I've never known my wife to be a stupid women, I'll let this slide. Now go up stairs, I still need to have a talk with your brother about bringing you to the rink."  
  
Adam sat on the beanbag chair in the corner of his room in the dark and strained to hear out the window. When the familiar sound of Nicholas's car roared up the drive he shivered. The door closed on the car and soon the front door of the house did the same.  
  
"Nicholas, get in here." Mr. Banks demanded of his eldest son.   
  
"Sure, Dad." Nick retorted and entered the parlor.  
  
The beginning of the conversation was to low for Adam to make out. Mostly harsh murmurs, and fierce whispers. That was normally a bad sign, when Philip wasn't yelling at you, you knew he was really pissed. Then suddenly the silence of shattered with a thunderous smack. The sound seemed to echo through all the halls of the home. It was like the entire house erupted in the one instant. The thud was followed by a crash, a slammed of the door and the squeal of Nick's tires as he peeled out of the drive.  
  
A quiver ran the length of his spine as the noise of his brother's engine grew quieter. It was all his fault, he should've just stopped playing like his father asked. But no, he couldn't do that, he had to drag his brother into it. Nick was Phil's favorite, why'd he have to ruin it. Why did he always have to do everything wrong…? 


	13. It doesn't mean I like you

Adam opened his eyes the next morning and looked over at his alarm clock. Evidently it had been going off for twenty minutes and he hadn't even noticed. The boy stretched and cracked his neck woozily. He'd scarcely slept the night before, sitting just under his bedroom window, hoping to hear the sound of Nick's car returning. It hadn't.  
  
"Adam Jonathon Banks, get down this instant!" Adam's mother Regina, who hardly ever raised her voice above a whisper, yelled. When she screamed you knew you best not disobey.  
  
Her son struggled into some clothes that barely matched and forced himself down the stairs to the family room. "Good morning, Mom."  
  
"Adam, there you are. Your brother didn't come home last night, so I'm afraid you'll have to take the bus to school this morning."  
  
"Can't you or Dad take me?" Adam yawned.  
  
"Your father already left for work sweetie and I've got to meet with a client in a half hour. I'm sorry. Grab a granola bar from the kitchen and hurry or you'll miss the bus."  
  
Adam Banks had never taken the bus to school in his life, in fact he wasn't even a hundred percent sure where the bus stop was exactly. However, he wasn't about to ruin his perfect attendance record by asking to stay home. So he dug his book bag out from the closet, waved good bye to his mother and left the house.  
  
From his driveway he could see clearly the small park a few blocks away, the water fountain had been turned off for winter, but a few kids his age were standing in frontof it. This was a pretty good sign that that was the bus stop. He approached them so quietly one would think he was planning to sneak up and rob them, but truth be told he was hoping no one would recognize him.   
  
You see outside of the boys from the Hawks, Adam didn't have many friends. Most of the kids at school thought he was snotty for not talking to them, but in truth he was just quiet.  
  
One of the boys standing amidst the rest of the students seemed vaguely familiar to Adam and he thought they might have been in the same grade. He shifted his backpack onto the other shoulder and tapped the other boy on the arm.   
  
"What?" The other kid turned around, not looking happy at being disturbed from listening to his walkman.  
  
Adam blinked, still trying to adjust his powder blue eyes to the bright morning sun. "Um, is this the bus stop for Cornelia elementary?"  
  
The other boy snorted at him. "Uh, no, Cake-Eater. That bus picks up down there. And I'd get down there if I was you. We don't like snobs like you, you Cake-Eater."  
  
"Why do you have to be so mean? I didn't do anything, to you?"  
  
"Look Cake-Eater," A second boy shoved him backward into a third. "get out of here."  
  
"Hey watch it, kid." The third boy grumbled.  
  
Adams muscles tightened as the trio closed in around him, his heart pounding. I clenched his eyes tightly closed as the lead boy raised his fist. Then suddenly there was s rumble of wheels on  
concrete followed by a loud quacking. Then like magic the boy was yanked from in front of   
Adam, and suspended from the air by his collar.Fulton Reed stood behind him, holding him in the air by the back of his shirt. He then let go, allowing his foe to fall to his butt.  
  
"Hey, Banks! Are you okay?" Charlie asked shoving through the crowd.  
  
Adam nodded. "I'm fine. Thanks guys."  
  
"Ducks stick together, Cake-Eater." Jesse declared, matter-of-factly. "But this doesn't mean I like you."  
  
Averman grinned. "Yup, we're sticking together right now. We're skipping."  
  
"Yeah, you wanna come?" Connie asked sweetly.  
  
Adam thought about it for a second, then jubilantly answered "Heck yeah!" So much for perfect attendance.

Mega thanks too my new beta Allie. You rock, dear.


	14. Hiya Coach

"Aren't you guys worried we'll get caught?" Adam asked, after sneaking back into his house for his roller blades.  
  
Charlie was standing lookout by the front door as his new friend dug through the hall closet. "Nope, we do it all the time. Tammy and Tommy's big sister and Fulton's older brother call the school and pretend to be our parents."  
  
"Haven't they ever noticed that the whole team stays out on the same day?"   
  
"I don't think so. Did you find your blades yet?"  
  
"Yup, got em" Adam backed out of the closet with a triumphant smile. "Let's go."  
  
When they arrived at the mall, Peter, Karp and Goldberg were already waiting outside, with Terry, Guy and the Duncan's swiftly approaching from the other side of the parking lot. The team quickly swung their backpacks off their shoulders and pulled out their sneakers.  
  
"The parents think you're actually going to school when they see you with a heavy book bag." Peter explained.  
  
Adam nodded. "My parents will kill me if we get busted, what would happen to you guys?"  
  
"Probably nothing." Fulton shrugged. "Even if we got detention, Bombay would get us out."  
  
"Yeah, so they'd probably never find out." Karp agreed.  
  
Adam's eyes widened. The coach would get them out of trouble? That seemed almost impossible, Reilly would not only let them stay in detention, but then work them extra hard for missing practice. Bombay's coaching tactics seemed foreign to him. Thought they did seem a lot more fun.  
  
"Come one guys." Connie squeaked tugging on Guy's hand. "We'll be late for the movie."  
  
"We're going to a movie?" Adam queried shifting on his feet uncomfortably.  
  
"Yup. Averman's uncle is the manager so he got us all free passes for making the playoffs, we just have to pay for snacks." Goldberg explained.  
  
"Yeah, so let's go." Tammy pouted.  
  
A few minutes later the entire group was standing in front of the snack stand ogling the wide array of candies and popcorn. The colors of the jellybeans alone nearly sent them into sensory overload. So many choices, but not enough money to pay for them. After a bit of discussion the team decided to put their money together and purchase three large sodas, an extra large popcorn, nachos and two packs of sour patch kids. It was also agreed that Goldberg wouldn't be allowed to hold them.  
  
Adam watched in silence as the rest of the kids dug into their pockets or backpacks for cash. Clutched in their small fists were crumpled ones and old coins. All the while nestled inside his jeans sat a crisp twenty dollar bill. Allowance day had only recently passed and Adam hadn't had time to spend it. However he was worried that the Ducks maybe upset with him if they found out how much money he had. They already called him Cake-Eater because of the area he lived. Knowing he got more for allowance in one week then they did in a month would really have the team resenting him.  
  
Tommy stuck his hand out under Banks' nose as if waiting for his contribution. When Adam bit his lip and shrugged Tommy smiled. "It's okay Banks, we've got you covered. But you pay next time."  
  
In the darkness of the theater Adam began to relax. He felt like he wasn't being watched a microscope anymore. Those of the Ducks not paying attention to the movie were staring at Connie and Guy as they kissed a row in front of them. Adam looked up at the screen towering above him, he was so enthralled in the movie he hardly noticed when his arm was shaken. The boy shrugged it off and focused back to the action of the film only to be pinched in the elbow. This time he turned his attention to the right to see Charlie sitting beside him with round, curious eyes.  
  
"You have money on you don't you, Banks?" Charlie whispered.  
  
Adam nodded chewing the inside of his cheek.  
  
"Why didn't you donate to the snack fund then?"  
  
"Because I don't want the team to hate more then they already do." He explained quietly.  
  
"The team doesn't hate you, Banks. They like you."  
  
Adam raised his light eyebrows and Charlie grinned. "Okay, they don't really like you, but they don't hate you either."  
  
"If they knew I got twenty bucks for cleaning my room twice a week they would."  
  
Charlie shrugged. "Maybe, but I don't think so."  
  
While the words were meant to be consoling, in truth all they really did was hurt Adam. He wanted the Ducks to like him. He wanted to belong. After all District five Ducks were all he really had. The Hawks betrayed him, his father disowned him and God only knew where Nick was. Without the support and respect of the team, all he was left with was hockey.  
  
After the matinee the group of rambunctious children set out to window shop. Unfortunately for them as they were getting in line for the roller coaster so was someone else, Coach Bombay. Gordon did a fast about face and pointed with his finger to left, signaling his team to follow.  
  
"Forgive me if I'm wrong," Bombay cracked his knuckles. "But shouldn't you all be in school?"  
  
"Would you believe every teacher in the greater Minnesota area has been abducted by aliens?" Averman joked.  
  
"No, try again."  
  
Guy looked at the Coach guiltily. "Uh, we skipped?"   
  
The coach rubbed his temples and sighed loudly. He couldn't send the children back home, or to school as they'd be caught instantly and more then likely be grounded for life. However as the responsible adult he couldn't very well let them stay at the mall where they could be spied by any number of parents or school faculty either.  
  
"Alright, Charlie go get Lou he's in the hotdog line, the rest of you follow me out to the van."  
  
Lou drove the team and coach to Hans's shop. Where Bombay unloaded the rug rats and ushered them inside. He was hoping to amuse them with some pizza and keep the flock out of trouble. As Adam climbed out of the back seat he instantly recognized the royal blue Mustang in the parking lot. Nick's car. Why was his brother at the skate shop…? 


End file.
